


Those were the days of our lives

by Decem



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1970s, Angst, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hogwarts, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Requited Love, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:14:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23706709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Decem/pseuds/Decem
Summary: The full story of the Marauders spanning  from their first day at Hogwarts to the end of the first war with Voldemort.1971 to 1995.Author has tried to be as canonically compliant as possible.Title from Queen song.Updates every Friday
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

September 1st 1971

It was a cool, breezy autumn’s day, amidst the noise and bustle of King’s Cross station, a peaky looking boy was saying a long tearful goodbye to his mother.

“Remember to raise your hand in class before speaking.”

“Yes, mum.” (She had said things like this a lot lately since he had been home schooled all his life)

“What should you do to make friends?”

“I can bring treats like chocolate.”(He had no idea- he had not been allowed to play with other children for fear that he let slip of his circumstance)

“Good, ” she lowered her voice and asked: “ What should you do if a friend asks you where you go each month?”

The boy, Remus, swallowed.

“I should say that I am getting treated for a chronic disease.”He whispered.

She pulled him into a tight hug. “Have fun, Remus dear.”

“I will mum, I will.” He murmured into her ear.

After what seemed like an eternity, his father put his hand on his shoulder and said gently: ”Hope, dear, it’s almost 11 o’clock. Remus is going to miss his train at this rate.”

After a last wave at his mother, Remus stepped into the Platform 9 and ¾. 

“Just keep your circumstance a secret and you’ll be fine.” His father said fervently for what Remus counted as the fifth time today. ( His father had said this for as long as he could remember, as though it was some kind of prayer - if he said it enough, someone ought to answer it. )

His father was storming across the platform all but dragging him and his small battered trunk behind. 

The world around Remus dissolved into a blur of excited faces talking to each other, wizard’s robes, hooting owls and screeching cats.

Remus felt dizzy and pulled at his father’s long worn work cloak. “Please, dad. Maybe we made a mistake, I don’t think I want to go…” He said in a small desperate voice.

His father knelt down beside him without letting go of his hand.

Remus noticed that desperation was creeping into his father’s face. 

“Remus, you said you wanted to go! And…and, you’ll learn so much there, things that I can’t teach you. And Professor Dumbledore himself said that you would be safe, and he’s the greatest wizard of modern times…” His father was rambling, he did that when he was nervous.

Remus knew that it was wrong to weaken at the last second after all the preparations that the family had done so that he could go to a proper school for magic. 

Earlier that year, before Remus’ eleventh birthday, Professor Dumbledore himself, an old man with long glistening hair and beard and a genial warm smile had turned up at their ninth house ( They were forced to move every year or two in case someone noticed his monthly disappearances) His parents had been flustered and frightened and tried to block him out. 

Remus had returned to his favourite fireside armchair only to find Professor Dumbledore sitting on the opposite one and offering him crumpets and a game of gobstones.   
Remus saw no reason to refuse, and that was how his surprised parents found him approximately five minutes later.

After a very short game of gobstones of which Professor Dumbledore won by a landslide, they sat down by the table, and Professor Dumbledore confirmed that there was no reason why he couldn’t go to school with the right precautions despite his unfortunate problem and that if they wished it he was on the list. For safety measures, his identity would be kept a secret. 

Remus’ parents were worried at first, but Professor Dumbledore’s plan seemed flawless. Every full moon he would leave through a tunnel hidden behind a whomping willow in the school grounds to a house in Hogsmeade that was protected by charms to transform safely. 

His father was over the moon afterwards. 

Remus was always a bright child showing magical tendencies at a very early age, but no wizard school would ever admit a werewolf. His father had taught him magic at home and worried all the time about what Remus might do in the future (when he wasn’t dabbling with cures for Remus – after all those years and all those fruitless efforts)

Professor Dumbledore’s visit seemed to have given him new hope for his son’s future, he had taken it upon himself to teach his son every single thing he thought he might need at Hogwarts, from Transfiguration to where each vanishing step was.

His mother was more worried. Indeed her husband was a wizard and her son transformed into a werewolf every month, but before the visit it was all surreal to her, and now her son was going off to an alien world full of fear and hatred for werewolves. ( She didn’t understand the widespread hatred of werewolves, but she understood prejudice well enough) She had fretted and worried, when he opened his trunk that morning for a final check, he found that he had so much chocolate that he wondered whether he would be able to go through the year with his teeth intact.( She often used them to comfort him before and after the transformations, after dabbling with many sweets she found that chocolate worked best.)

Remus wasn’t really sure, he never had been, but his father seemed happy, so he went along with it. 

When he reached out for his father’s robe, his loose sleeve had fallen back and revealed three long white scars, his other hand had shot up quick as lightening to pull the sleeve back, but the familiar bitter taste of fear still rankled at the back of his throat. How could he keep the lycanthropy a secret with all the telltale signs? 

“You don’t understand. Professor Dumbledore doesn’t either.” He said bitterly. He thought for the thousandth time that if everyone’s fate was like groping for cards in a pitch dark room, he had ended up with the worst of the worst.

Remus immediately regretted it when he saw his father’s face crumple   
( Lyall Lupin often wondered if it would have been different if he hadn’t accused Fenrir Greyback, and called werewolves soulless monsters.   
Moments like this – his son feeling upset for being a werewolf, which was his stupid, stupid mistake in the first place - made the guilt almost unbearable. Then Remus, the sweet, sweet boy would be apologetic and make him feel even guiltier)

“I’m just a bit nervous.” Remus put in quickly. He didn’t want his father to be sad.

Remus’ father pulled him into a gentle hug (to hide his face).

“You’re right, I don’t, but you know, we’ve come this far!” Remus’ father said, trying to sound jovial. “And if it comes to it, an owl, and I’ll get you back safely.”  
After what seemed like a long time, a whistle sounded and his father let go.

His father helped Remus push the trunk onto the train, with Remus scrambling in after it. 

“Good luck, son.” He said as he planted a final kiss on Remus' head.

Remus waved from the window until his father disappeared into the distance.

*

Remus pushed and pulled at his trunk, sweating heavily before the thing moved three feet. 

He slid open the door of the nearest compartment, it was empty except for a red haired girl looking out of the window and a plump blond boy sitting at opposite ends of the compartment.   
“Um, excuse me, do you mind if I…” Remus stammered.

The girl turned around and looked at him with slightly puffy but startlingly beautiful green, almond eyes. She nodded and said “Go ahead, but the seat opposite me is taken.” In a constricted voice.

Remus wondered whether he should ask her whether she was alright or what the matter was and decided to focus on moving his trunk in and sat next to the blond boy.

“Um, hello, I’m Peter Pettigrew, what’s your name?” The boy said in a squeaky voice.

“Remus Lupin.” Remus said quietly, trying to find something to say.

"Nice name" The blond boy said.

"Um, thanks." Remus said awkwardly.  
The awkward silence was broken by a rowdy throng of boys who were getting near, they seemed to be debating furiously, or rather, two people were debating furiously. 

“You see, the Montrose Magpies have won the League Cup the most times!” A voice said triumphantly.

“You have a point there but the Ballycastle Bats won last time, and they come in second!” Another voice said indignantly.

Then the compartment door flew open with a crash. A boy with glasses and the messiest hair Remus had ever seen ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more whilst grappling over a magazine with a handsome longhaired boy with stormy grey eyes，Remus noticed that he was wearing a hippie leather jacket over formal black trousers and a prim white shirt ( top two buttons undone and revealing the perfect set of collarbones, of course).

“D’you mind?” The messy haired boy asked with a huge grin.

The red haired girl nodded without looking back, the plump boy moved over to make room. 

The longhaired boy arched an eyebrow artfully and asked: “And you?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Remus said hurriedly and shuffled in.

“Ta ever so much. Sirius Black, nice to meet you.” The boy with the long hair said with a grin.

“Remus, Remus Lupin.” He stammered.

“Ooo, a star like me.” Grinning from ear to ear before returning to help with the trunks with more grace than anyone performing such a task ought to have.

When all they had finally settled down, the conversation resumed. 

“Gentlemen! We shall have a vote to decide for once and for all.” The messy haired boy slammed his hands on the table and declared in a pompous tone that drew huffs from the others.  
The blond boy tried to join in the vote. Remus lost track of their vote as he looked out of the window, until he heard a voice call him.

“You over there!” The boy with the long hair -Sirius- was calling.

Remus was startled and asked: “Me?” 

“Yes, you! Which Quidditch team do you support! The Montrose Magpies or the Ballycastle Bats?” The boy with glasses demanded. “I’m having a bit of a dispute with Sirius here, and the votes now in this compartment are a draw.”

Remus didn’t support Qudditch teams, his father( and only link to the wizard world) wasn’t big on the sport. “I don’t support a Quidditch team.” He admitted.

“How can you not support a Quidditch team!” Sirius demanded.

Remus felt very flustered and he tried to come up with a response but his tongue felt tied, he would have died of shame if it weren’t for the hurried footsteps that drew everyone’s attention.

A sallow faced boy hurriedly slid open the compartment door and sat opposite the red haired girl who glanced at him and looked back out of the window. The talk about Quidditch resumed, Remus found himself listening to the girl.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said in a constricted voice. 

“Why not?” The sallow faced boy asked.

“Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.” Remus wondered who “Tuney” was.

“So what?” The sallow faced boy asked, wrinkling his brow.

She threw him a look of deep dislike. “So she’s my sister!” She said angrily.

“She’s only a —” He caught himself quickly; the red haired girl, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him. 

“But we’re going!” The sallow faced boy said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. “This is it! We’re off to Hogwarts!” 

The red haired girl nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled. 

“You’d better be in Slytherin,” said the sallow faced boy encouragingly.

“Slytherin?” The messy-haired boy said as he turned around from the new conversation about racing brooms. “Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” He asked Sirius who was lounging on the seats opposite him. 

Sirius did not smile, the expression in his grey eyes unreadable. “My whole family have been in Slytherin,” he said. 

“Blimey,” said the messy haired boy, “and I thought you seemed all right!” 

Sirius grinned. “Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?” 

The messy haired boy lifted an invisible sword. “Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!’ Like my dad.” 

The sallow faced boy made a small, disparaging noise.

The messy haired boy turned on him. “Got a problem with that?” 

“No,” said the sallow faced boy, though his slight sneer said otherwise. “If you’d rather be brawny than brainy —” 

“Where’re you hoping to go, seeing as you’re neither?” interjected Sirius. 

The messy haired boy roared with laughter. 

Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from him to Sirius in dislike. “Come on, Severus, let’s find another compartment.” 

“Oooooo …” The messy haired boy and Sirius hooted, everyone else following suit.

The messy haired boy and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; the messy haired boy also tried to trip Snape as he passed. Remus thought that he was rather busy.

“See ya, Snivellus!” a Sirius called, as the compartment door slammed.

The messy haired boy and Sirius hi-fived as the rest of the compartment snickered and cheered.

“I do wonder why a beautiful girl like her would be stuck with a slimy git like, what was it, Snivellus?” The messy haired boy snorted.

“I think her parents are muggles, I saw them on the platform!” The blond boy with watery eyes reported a bit too eagerly.

“You mean she’s a mudblood!” Sirius screeched incredulously( In his drama queen style).

This time there were no cheers or even replies, only a shocked silence.

Confusion entered the Sirius’s eyes as the messy haired one said with disgust: “Are you from one of those families that are obsessed with the whole pure-blood business?”  
Sirius looked utterly lost: “That’s what everyone says!”

Remus heard mutters from the compartment like: “He’s a Black, what do you expect?” “Slimy Slytherin.” “Thinks they’re better than us.” “Related to Bellatrix…”

Sirius’s confusion and hurt was gone in a blink, as though someone pressed a switch, and rage took their place.  
“One minute you’re on my side, next you’re telling me off for saying what everyone else says, Who do you think you are, Potter!” He drew his wand and sparks shot from it.  
“Shieldo!” Potter bellowed.

Then it was a chaos, spells flying around in a crowded compartment, squeals and shouts, people trying to duck and then crashing into another person, prefects hurrying over and trying to calm things down.

*

When peace was finally restored, the whole department was distributed a week of detentions and a stern warning that if they did not settle the matter they would have another week.

There was a long, awkward silence.

The plump blond boy managed to pipe up in a squeaky voice: “We...we could figure out whose fault it is…”

“It was his fault!” Potter and Black yelled at the same time.

The plump boy’s hands moved about nervously and he lowered his eyes, another long awkward silence followed.

Black, broke it, his face still livid. “I called the girl a mudblood, and Potter here threw a tantrum, what’s the big deal?”

“Maybe because that’s a highly impolite word in the polite wizarding circles.” Someone muttered.

“Of which the Blacks are completely obnoxious to.” Somebody said. “Prejudiced prats.” “Slimy Slytherins.” Were heard throughout the compartment.

“That’s not nice!” Potter said angrily, he then realized that he was backing Sirius up, and Sirius was supposed to be the enemy, he resumed the sulky posture and there was another awkward silence.

“Black…” Potter began.  
“Sirius” the boy with the long hair cut in briskly. “I prefer Sirius, I mean it’s ridiculous, it’s I don’t know, like the heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black is all I am. It’s not, well, me.” Sirius said quickly, as if to explain . “ Believing everyone to be dirt under their feet, prejudiced prats, slimy Slytherins, that sums them up.” He said bitterly.

There was silence in the compartment after that. 

“What, it’s true…” Sirius was snapping after the silence grew too thick.

Potter clasped him on the shoulder, “You did say you’d break the tradition! You…you could be a brave and valiant Gryffindor like me!”

“You mean barmy instead of brainy.” Sirius taunted.

“How dare you, I read A History Of Magic from cover to cover at the age of five.” Potter said pompously. “Well, under wandpoint.” He added.

Suddenly, inexplicably, they both started to laugh.  
“ You know, Black, I mean Sirius, I think I like you when you aren’t being, y’know, a muggle-born hating prat.”

“I think I kind of like you too, James .” He hesitated for a moment and asked: “Is that what you call them? You know, mud – I mean people with muggles for parents?” Sirius asked with genuine interest in his eyes. “Seriously, I mean, I didn’t even know that there was this other name for it…”

“You mean you seriously, or should I say Siriusly…”

“Do not make fun of the brightest star in the night sky.” Sirius retorted.

“Sorry,” James said as he waved his hands around, “ So you don’t know anything about the mainstream wizarding society.”

Sirius looked thoughtful, “Well, with all my, acquaintances, being limited to the ‘ Sacred twenty-eight’, not even all of them mind, I suppose you’re right.”

“Wow,” said James, looking absolutely amazed, “ Imagine being a stuck up muggle-born hater all your life without even knowing.”

“Shut up, Potter.” Sirius glared at him.

Potter however was eyeing Sirius will all the fascination of a scientist that had discovered a new species. 

Then, a tall teenager witch with platinum blond hair and was standing by the door. 

She had a pinched expression and after a dainty sniff, looked as if she had something unpleasant under her nose, were it not for that, she would have had a sort of glacial beauty.

“Sirius Orion Black,” she said in a high voice that sounded like it was trying hard to keep down the anger, “ I've been looking for you for ages. Have you forgotten what auntie said?” She looked around the compartment with a disdainful look. 

Sirius ignored her.

The teenager’s took a deep breath and tried again with a big false smile: “Why don't you come to our compartment? My fiancé Lucius Malfoy is dying to meet you.”

“ Even after I spilled pumpkin juice all over him, hmm, I don’t recall,” Sirius cocked up an eyebrow and put on a musing face, “our sixth meeting with him since your engagement two months ago?” The entire compartment snickered.

"Scarper off.” Sirius said fiercely, glaring at his cousin with an arrogant look on his face.

The blond teenager stormed away in rage. The compartment fell into a stunned silence.

Sirius glared at the rest of them and rambled sullenly as if to defend himself: “See, that’s exactly the sort of nonsense I have to put up with, she’s definitely going to write to mother…”

He broke off when James slapped him on the back so hard that he choked, and said jovially: “Well, well, Mister Sirius Orion Black, I might have to see you in a new light!” And he put a hand in front of him, giving him what he told them later as his best roguish grin.

Sirius looked at him with slightly steamy eyes (which he insisted later on was the effect of being slapped on the back too hard ) but took the outstretched hand in a firm grasp.


	2. Chapter 2

A voice echoed through the train: “We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes’ time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately” , waking Remus from a light and uneasy sleep.

A thrill passed through Remus as he realised that he was really there, and that there was no turning back.

The rest of the compartment’s occupants were already busily digging for their school robes by the time Remus groggily rubbed his eyes and stood up to stretch his cramped limbs.

There was now a sense of anticipation bubbling in the compartment, as the occupants donned their school robes, even James was quiet…For a while. 

“Sirius, do you want to check out the passageway on the fourth floor…” James said excitedly as he shrugged on his robes.

Sirius rolled his eyes and said: “James, yes, for the billionth time.” He looked around the room for anything to focus on that wasn’t James and his eyes fell on Remus who was gingerly peeling off his coat. 

“Demure aren’t we?” Sirius asked a grin as he took off his leather jacket in an elegant flourish. 

Remus felt very flushed and was saved when James butted in again: “Dad said it was behind a mirror, we should probably check it out tonight…”

“For Merlin’s sake, James…” 

Merlin must have heard Sirius’ prayer, for the train shuddered to a halt.

“Race you to the lake!” Sirius laughed and said to James as he tore out of the door, with James tight on his heels. 

Remus joined the sea of black robes gushing out onto the dark platform, as he stepped out into the cool autumn’s night, with his super sharp senses he could sense the warm scent of pine resin and the cool scent of water. Under the dark velvety sky, Remus could see the vague outline of mountains going on for miles.

A lamp came bobbing over the student’s heads, like some sort of lighthouse above a choppy sea. The biggest man Remus had ever seen was standing there, beaming through a hairy face, calling: “"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!” 

"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Remus tottered after him almost in a trance, down a narrow and steep path, the scent of foliage overwhelming. 

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." 

There was a loud "Oooooh!" 

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

The dark waters lapped gently at the lake’s edge and it would seem that the whole diamond sky had been upturned and reflected upon it’s surface. Remus looked entranced…until he saw the crescent moon nested among the twinkling stars, and a familiar fear spread through him, how long would it be before the next full moon…

“Remus! It is Remus isn’t it? Come on! I saved you a seat!” A familiar voice cut through the darkness.

Remus turned to see Sirius waving frantically at him and patting at a seat next to him on the small. 

Remus felt rather flustered and hurried over. Sirius grinned at him and patted him on the back. James was busy chattering about the giant squid: “…apparently if you toss food onto the lake it will drag it down, I mean that is like a cleaning system!” 

Sirius rolled his eyes (elegantly, of course) and said in a long suffering voice: “James, if I were the squid I would be deeply offended. Careful, it might decide to drag you down, though it would probably be poisoned if it ate you.”

James made an indignant noise, but quickly fell silent as the boats started to move across the glass-like lake.

Remus watched in awe as the wind blowing off the lake blew his neat hair awry – it was like gliding through the stars. 

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. 

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. 

"Everyone here?” The huge man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, and Remus felt awed already.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the huge man said. 

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here. "

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was enormous and eloquent. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches , the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. 

The first years followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. 

Remus could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -- the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously. 

Well, most of them. James was bursting with excitement: “ We’ll be sorted next! I do hope, no, I’m sure I’ll be in Gryffindor…” 

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. (With a glare at their direction in general, James did take a hint and shut up)"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.”

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.”

"The Sorting Ceremony will take p  
lace in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. "  
Her hawk-like gaze scanned the gaggle of students, Remus found himself straightening a bit and smoothing down his hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly. " She directed another pointed glance in their general direction and left the chamber. 

Naturally, the conversation ensued. 

“How exactly do you get divided into houses? I hear you just put a hat on, but it can’t be that simple…” The plump blond boy from the train was asking no one in general, but speaking aloud anyway.

“Don’t worry!” James said confidently, “I have reliable sources confirming that…”

Suddenly there was a “Whoppee!” And a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating across the hall, pelting everyone with bits of chalk, scrunched up parchment and a few water balloons, covering quite a few girls in water resulting in screeches and shouts as they tried to wipe the water off their faces.” Ickle firsties…” He cackled

Remus felt the corner of his mouth twitching up a little as he recognised it: a poltergerist. His father was one of the leading experts in the field, and he had talked (complained in an exasperated but fond sort of way) about them relentlessly.

Remus raised his wand and said calmly: “Waddiwasi!”

A piece of chalk flew up Peeves’ nose as he grabbed his nose, spluttered and, cursing furiously, zoomed away.

The other students looked in awe and some cheered and clapped.

Remus felt very flustered, ducked his head and cursed himself, so long for staying under the radar…

James slapped him on the back with an awestruck face and said: “Mate, that was awesome! You’ve got to teach me…”  
The plump blond boy hovered along and said excitedly: “Me too…”  
Sirius elbowed them both away and grinned: “If he’s teaching anyone first, it’s going to be me…”

Professor McGonagall rushed back with emerald-green robes，she was positively fuming: “Peeves, what did we say about…” She broke off after she noticed Peeves’ absence.

Sirius grinned and announced: “Remus here got rid of him!”

James added enthusiastically: “He used this Waddi charm, and the chalk flew right up Peeves’ nose.”

Remus felt himself blushing.

Professor McGonagall gave him a long look and nodded: “Impressive.” 

Remus blushed a brighter shade of red if that were even possible.

Professor McGonagall turned back to the first years and said: “Now, form a line, and follow me. "

The first years plodded behind her through the double doors to the great hall.

Remus felt rather small under the magnificence and splendour. The great hall was lit by thousands and thousands of flickering candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The high ceiling seemed to just open up onto the heavens, Remus knew it was bewitched to match the stars of the season.

Remus felt the stares of the hundreds of students (and a handful of silvery ghosts) bore into him as they were led before the teacher’s high table and facing the students. 

Remus observed as Professor McGonagall put a stool in front of them, a hat that looked tattered and frayed perched upon it.

A rip near the brim opened like a mouth and it broke into song. One that Remus, under the prickling feeling of eyes on him, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people, couldn’t quite remember.

The whole hall erupted in applause and cheers when the hat finished and the hat bowed to all four tables before being quiet again.  
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said briskly.

“Adams, Abigail.” A tall blond haired girl walked over briskly and lowered the hat over his head. “GRYFFINDOR!” The hat bellowed after a few moments. One of the tables erupted in raucous cheers and hoots as she walked over to join them in the same brisk manner.

“Avery, Anthony.” A pale boy with a mop of black hair strode over with his head hung high, “SLYTHERIN!” The hat shouted before it even touched his head. A table clapped in a rather polite and collected way. Sirius clapped. 

James looked at him weirdly. 

“I grew up with him, OK?” Sirius said.

“Black, Sirius.” Remus looked as Sirius grinned and positively sauntered over to the stool with cheers and calls from the Slytherin table, sunk himself onto it as if it were a throne, flicked his hair with one hand and jauntily placed the hat on his head with the other.

This time the hat took quite a long time before declaring: “GRYFFINDOR!”

This time there were much fewer cheers, and they were covered by scandalised sounds coming from both the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. 

Sirius’ hand shook as he took off the hat and looked around the hall desperately, his face blanched.  
( Remus noticed that he was glancing at the Slytherin table, the slender blond girl from earlier was making a point of pursing her lip and avoiding eye contact, Avery from earlier was just looking with his eyes as wide as saucers)

Professor McGonagall took the hat from his hands and ushered him to his feet and nudged him towards the direction of the Gryffindor. “Mr. Black, join your house.” She said, not unkindly.

“Sirius, way to go!” Someone yelled. Every head in the hall swivelled over to see James with his hands cupped at his mouth. “Good for you mate!” James yelled again with a huge grin, and he began to clap. 

Remus thought of how Sirius had saved him a seat and tentatively joined in, the plump blond boy not that far behind him, the remaining members of their train compartment joining suit one by one.

Sirius looked at them with wide eyes, put on a brave grin, stood up, shook his head artfully tousling his hair again, gave them the thumbs up (with shaking hands) and made a valiant attempt to saunter to the Gryffindor table on slightly trembling feet.

Then inexplicably, a Hufflepuff started to clap too and it spread like wildfire, first to the whole of the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, seconds behind, the Ravenclaws and a handful of Slytherins, the applause rising up to the rafters and echoing across the halls. 

Sirius stopped and looked around, perplexed.

“Wahoo, Sirius!” James yelled through the din, shaking his fist in the air, giving him a huge grin. Remus gave him what he thought was a reassuring smile. The plump blond boy waved.

Sirius seemed to be at a loss at what to do and in the end he gave them a dip of his head as he took his seat under the Gryffindor colours.  
The applause died only long after.

*

Professor McGonagall held the parchment, and announced with a perhaps more brisk voice than usual: “The sorting resumes.” She swallowed and called: “Brooks, Christina.”

Christina ran over and became the first Ravenclaw, the table second from the left clapped this time.

“Campbell, Nicholas.” 

“HUFFLEPUFF!” The table with yellow colours cheered jovially and their ghost waved cheerfully. 

“Clarke, Davina” then became a Ravenclaw.

Remus felt his nerves building up, he also began to think horrible thoughts, what if the hat proclaimed him a werewolf and refused to sort him? Or worse, announced what he was in front of the whole school?

“Evans, Lily.” The red haired girl from the train walked forward with a determined look on her face and jammed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat after quite a while. 

Lily Evans looked rather disappointed as she took a seat at the Gryffindor table, skirting a look at the sallow skinned boy who looked forlorn and disappointed. Remus remembered her voicing her hope to be in Slytherin.

“Fitzgerald, Richard” became a Gryffindor, and he handed the hat over to “Fletcher, William” who joined Slytherin. 

Remus was now feeling rather queasy, he would be the centre of attention, what if someone (there was a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher for heaven’s sake, and he was a dark creature) noticed something…

They were close now, to Remus’ mounting dread. “King” … “Knight”… “Lewis”… “Lloyd” , and finally “Lupin, Remus.”

He felt his legs wobble a bit as he stepped towards the stool, feeling like there were butterflies in his stomach as he looked at all the faces looking at him.

As he lowered the hat over his eyes, he could smell a comforting, warm, musty smell. 

Remus almost jumped when a little voice whispered in his ear: “Hmm. Very difficult. You have the brains, lots of talent, indeed, you could pursue it in Ravenclaw...” It broke off, “but such a secret…” Remus suddenly felt very small and afraid. “Please don’t tell.” He pleaded, “you could send me home…” “I’m no snitch, boy!” The hat said indignantly. “The first...of your kind to step into the doors, courage, no doubt. GRYFFINDOR!” The hat bellowed.

Remus sat there in shock, realising that the last few words had been spoken out loud. The hat whispered: “Go on, what are you waiting for!” Remus tentatively took off the hat with hands shaking in sheer relief and slipped off the stool to sit under the red and gold. 

Sirius moved over for him and threw an arm around his shoulders with a: “We’re in the same house!” and an attempt at a grin, his eyes didn’t shine though, and he looked positively miserable as he pushed his plate about. 

“Patil, Arjun.” Became a Gryffindor’

“Pettigrew, Peter.” 

The plump blond boy fiddled with his robes nervously as he sat on the stool, the hat fell through his fingers as he picked it up, and when he scrambled to get it he managed to kick it further away, to laughter all over the halls. When he finally got the hat over his head, the hat took a very long time before announcing: “GRYFFINDOR!”

Peter hurried over with his face as red as a beetroot. When he took a seat opposite Remus, Remus reached over and patted his hand a little awkwardly, but Peter seemed to light up all the same, “I can’t believe I’m actually in Gryffindor,” he babbled…

“Potter, James.” James strode up confidently, running his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. 

“Drama queen.” Sirius muttered. (Remus thought it was rather rich of him)

“He’s going to be in Gryffindor for sure…” Peter said

Sure enough, the hat screamed: “GRYFFINDOR!” before it even it even touched his head.

James took it off with a bow and flourish, leading to laughs around the hall and raucous applause from the Gryffindor as he strutted to the seat opposite Sirius’ and he open his arms the way a conductor would and announced: “Gryffindor!” with a huge grin as he sat down.

Sirius gave him the thumbs up and a grin, though he still looked a bit sad, and said quietly: “Thanks, James.”

James failed terribly at raising an eyebrow in an elegant way: “What are you thanking Mr.Potter for?”

Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes: “You know, the clapping…” He broke off and added sheepishly: “You didn’t have to…”

James rolled his eyes and said: “Of course I had to! We’re friends and friends look out for each other, and you know, you're terrible at the thanking business.”

Sirius snorted again: “What, I should have said, ‘Thank you, oh most benevolent one,’ or something?”

James grinned and said: “That wouldn’t be a bad opening speech, yeah.”

Sirius laughed and shook his head in an exasperated fashion.

“Rosier, Evan,” A boy with lank brown hair stepped forward.

“SLYTHERIN!” 

“Do you ever wonder if they balance the people in each house…” James was wondering aloud. “Slytherin seems to be getting an awful lot of people this year…”

“Snape, Severus.” The sallow skinned boy walked to the stool, and the hat yelled: “SLYTHERIN!” before it even touched his head. He looked at the girl – Lily, a little fazed, before going to join his house. A teenager with long blond hair and a shiny prefect badge patted him on the back as he settled down.

“Slimy git.” James continues to say, “anyway, my point still stands…”

“Spencer, David.”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Sirius harrumphed: “See, you’ve just been proven wrong.”

Remus listened to the two of them bicker as the sorting concluded, with “Young, Grace.” Who was made a Ravenclaw.

Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and took away the stool.

Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and looked around beaming with his hands open wide and said: “Welcome to a brand new year at Hogwarts! I have only one word to say before the feast,” he said in a deep voice that echoed through the hall, “Enjoy!”

Remus looked at the plates with anticipation, apparently a feast would appear on the empty plates… on cue, food piled up onto the plates, roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs, much to the amazement of the first years. 

Remus’ nose was overwhelmed by the savoury scents, and he realised just how hungry he was. Spearing a lamb chop, he attacked it with a savage relish, taking in the conversation and the grandeur of the hall.

When the remains of the puddings magically disappeared , Remus sat back in his seat, feeling rather drowsy. The hall fell silent when Professor Dumbledore got to his feet.

“Now that we have all been fed and watered, I beg your attention for the customary start of year notices.”

“First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students--and a few of our older students should bear that in mind too. It is home to an array of dangerous creatures and students should take their own safety into account.”

Remus wondered if he was more dangerous than the aforementioned creatures.

“Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the fifty-seventh time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.”  
“We have had a change in staffing. I have the privilege to introduce Professor Aldrich, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who has recently retired from the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Department.”

A gangling man with sparse white hair nodded and there was polite applause.

“I am sure you will make him feel most welcome during their stay at Hogwarts.” Professor Dumbledore continued: “Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.”

“I’m going, what about you Sirius?” James whispered.

“You’re not old enough! You’ve got to wait until second year.” Sirius whispered back.

Remus watched with amusement as James furiously whispered about why this was a stupid rule and that he could probably outfly the whole school while Sirius whispered scathingly sarcastic comments against him.

“…And now, bedtime! Off you trot!” Professor Dumbledore said, dismissing the school.

A dark girl with bushy hair waved at them and shouted over the hustle and bustle and chatter of students milling out of the hall: “First years! First years follow me!”

When the all of the new Gryffindor first years were out of the hall, she said: “Hello! I’m the Gryffindor prefect, Dorcas Meadowes!” as she counted the number of students.

“If you have questions about anything, don’t be afraid to ask me or the other prefect, Frank Longbottom. We’d be more than happy to help!” She said, positively radiating warmth.

“Right, I think that’s it, we’re all here. Follow me, and don’t wonder off or something, it’s quite easy to get lost.” She said after counting the last few first years.

They trailed up a marble staircase, and through halls where the portraits whispered and pointed, through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries and up even more stairs, Dorcas talking enthusiastically about all the things they came across.

After what seemed like forever, they reached the end of a corridor and stood before the portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

“Lapis lazuli.” Dorcas announced, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. “You had better remember it,” she said as they all scrambled through, “or you’ll be stuck outside forever,” and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs. 

Dorcas directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase, they found their beds at last: four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.

Tomorrow would be a new day, Remus thought, before his head hit the pillow and he instantly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter in 1970s Rock and Roll. Hopefully this Millennial didn't get anything wrong.

Navigating was a nightmare. 

Remus and his dorm mates had got up extra early, but they still got hopelessly lost.

They ended up in five wrong corridors, tried to open seven wrong doors, four of which simply not able to opened. ( Sirius got extremely frustrated at door six and kicked it, leading to him running along at a slightly hobbling pace and the door yelling behind him: “Where are manners in young men these days?”)

Peter stepped on a vanishing step and they spent a full minute getting him out.

“This place is just a goddamn maze!” James moaned.

“Talk about it!” Sirius growled hobbling behind.

“Why don’t they issue us a goddamn map! Think of the time it would save!” James complained as they turned the corner to another corridor that would also prove to be wrong.

When they finally got to the classroom under the direction of a friendly passing Nearly Headless Nick, they were a solid twenty minutes late. They opened the classroom door with their faces red and robes in a disarray under the cold stare of Professor McGonagall and were issued another two days’ detention, before set to transfigure a match.

Despite the lack of the lesson in directions, James managed to transfigure one successfully by the end of class, only to Professor McGonagall’s nod of acknowledgement, and reminder to finish his notes.

Remus and Sirius were on par with two rather pointy matches, Peter’s match looked more or less the same, though it was a bit slimmer.

The next class was Charms, taught by a tiny wizard named Professor Flitwick, Remus found it to be interesting enough, (charming their own drawings on paper to move). 

Lily Evans made her lily bloom on paper. 

Sirius proudly displayed the squiggles that spelled “MORON” in an elegant calligraphy and the word appeared to be doing a tap dance, to Professor Flitwick’s compliment and everyone’s laughter.

James displayed amazing artistry and drew a miniature flying broom, but it failed to achieve his hoped loop-a-loop effect.

Peter’s rat managed to jump a few millimetres. 

For the record, Remus drew a book and made it look like it was opening up.

In History of Magic ancient Professor Binns just seemed to drone on and on, Remus seemed to be one of the few who were actually bothering to take notes. ( He had liked the book A History of Magic immensely, and he had always had a of a passion for history) the rest of the class seemed to think it a perfect time to catch up on lost sleep.

Peter anxiously tried to borrow James’ notes after class. “I think I’ve mixed up Beric the Bloody and Belriv the Berserker”, he said, only to find they were consisted of the lines I’m starving and When’s lunch。

Remus lent the desperate Peter his notes that had a detailed timeline and a Reasons behind Revolution explanation with bullet points.

After lunch, they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Remus found that he rather liked it, and the smell of fresh green plants and musty soil was good. (He would have liked it even more if the Foetidum plant hadn’t squirted him in foul-smelling liquid) 

Anyway, lessons were good, the sky was bright and shining, and Remus felt it wasn’t that bad at all being at school.

*

When Remus trudged back to their dormitory after having finished his herb catalogue in the common room in their break time before dinner, he heard bickering again.

“No, James, you are not putting your posters on my side of the room.” Sirius was scowling and there was the rustling of paper as a poster was presumably ripped off.

“Sirius Black. If you damage that you’re paying with your life.” There was the sound of feet running and another rustling sound as the poster was presumably snatched from Sirius’ hands.

“That,” James said indignantly, “was signed by Royston Idlewind, in the World Cup five years ago.” There was a gentler rustling sound, presumably James smoothing the poster out.

Remus turned the last bend of the winding stairs into their dormitory and saw that in James’ bed’s general direction, the wall was practically blue, and a bit was winding it’s way to the other beds. When he looked closer, he realised that it was covered in posters of witches and wizards in blue robes clutching broomsticks and waving.

Sirius was busy hauling out posters of his own from his trunk, posters of four people dressed in what Remus’ mother would call “hip” way, James and Peter were trying to get a better look.

“Are those muggles?” Peter asked curiously.

“What band is that, they don’t look like any band I know…”James 

Sirius was grinning: “Yep. They’re muggles. The Rolling Stones. ” He said, finishing with a shake of his head and a lot of hand gesturing.

James looked rather bemused.

Sirius rolled his eyes and said: “They’re great, alright? Muggles have this great music called rock and roll, much better than the wizard stuff, it’s just…so cool…” He lowered his voice to a conspiring whisper, “my cousin, Andromeda, the cool one, she got me all the albums, and she charmed the posters to move, these cassettes…” 

A wild glint entered Sirius’ eyes and he gestured furiously: “Oh and I've got the newest Rolling Stones album!” He grinned like mad , “Andromeda sent it as the starting school gift.”

“But you can’t play those things in Hogwarts.” Remus said, feeling rather confused, “According to Hogwarts: A History…” Then he suddenly felt very self aware and broke off.

Sirius grinned even wider if that were even possible, he grappled in his trunk, flinging out bundles of clothes and drew out, reverently, in both hands, a small, black cassette player with a star stuck on it.

“Ugh, I’m getting very confused here.” James said, “Sirius, would you mind explaining to these little people what this is all about?”

Peter nodded his consent, eyes owlish.

Sirius reverently took out a small bundle of cassettes in a velvet pouch and carefully drew out one, labelled ‘Sticky Fingers’ and slotted it into the player and pressed the ‘Play’ button.

James and Peter’s eyes grew wide as the sound of loud guitar music of Brown Sugar played out.

James and Peter listened with owlish eyes, when the first song drew to an end, James looked at Sirius in wonder: “That, really was pretty good. I think. ”

Sirius said: “I love the, you know, rhythm of it, just gets you moving, it’s just so cool.” He said gesturing furiously.”

“What’s the music called?” Peter asked. “You said it was called…rock? I mean I never learnt it in piano class…”

“Rock and Roll. It’s a new sort of music.” Sirius said confidently, “It’s all the range with muggles at the moment, my cousin Andromeda told me the album topped the chart.”

“OK, the album? thingy and the chart thingy, what are those?” James asked looking doubly confused.

“I think an album is a collection of songs and, uh, a chart, I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask Dromeda.” Sirius mused.

“So they put songs in albums and trap them in these little black box cassettes all without magic? Alright…” James said. 

“That’s not possible. How come the player can play on the grounds, I mean, I read…” Remus suddenly felt that he had been rather rude, went slightly pink and broke off again.   
Sirius lit up. “My cousin, Andromeda, you know, her husband, Ted, he sent it to me as a going-to-school gift.” 

Ted usually sends stuff, you know, muggle magazines and the like with Dromeda’s letters. Dromeda told him I was going to Hogwarts, and he just sent me the player, with a note saying he made it able to work in the grounds, I could hug the guy.” Sirius smiled, and they all sat in a sort of companionable silence.

“Could you play the second song?” Peter piped up.

Sirius grinned, slotted the cassette in and jabbed the ‘Play’ button. A slow sort of jazz song oozed out.  
They were soon squabbling over which song was their favourite and why as they unpacked.

(“James! Pass me the spellotape!” That was Sirius - Standing on a chair and a precarious pile of books, trying to stick a poster above the four-poster.

“What’s the magic word?” That was James - rearranging his Quidditch magazines for the fifth time.

“Dear James, would you please pass me the spellotape right behind you...” Sirius said rolling his eyes. “Hey, this song’s great! Wild Horses!”

“But this isn’t rock and roll.” James put in.

“It’s cool too, alright?” Sirius retorted.

And Sirius jumped down to give them all a lecture on what influenced the band to write the song, and by the time Remus had finished filing his clothes into neat piles, he had already learnt all about Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull.

*  
Remus thought Sirius probably went too far with blaring ‘Brown Sugar’ on full volume late at night, when someone next door was playing the violin.

That someone turned out to be Richard Fitzgerald who stormed in and told them to keep the volume down. 

Sirius fumed and stubbornly refused. Richard Fitzgerald played the violin louder.

Peter came up with the idea of playing the worst song.

Sirius managed to rummage out some Christmas song tapes, grinned maniacally, and played ‘Jingle Bells’ at full volume.

The four of them laughed like mad and James almost choked himself to death with laughter.

Richard stopped playing. 

*

Remus felt elated and giddy for the first time in years.


	4. Chapter 4

It was over a bright Thursday morning breakfast, when the owls soared into the Great Hall in a flurry of wings and motion.

Remus’ mum had packed him a book he had left at home along with some homemade jam biscuits and a letter saying how much his parents missed him, how the house felt empty without him, and how the flowers were.  
Remus read it three times and felt a lump rise in his throat. He tucked it into his pocket.  
(Remus would later have piles of all the letters his father and mother wrote him, and all the letters his friends wrote, divided by year and bounded with different coloured ribbons. Many years later, a man named Harry would find them and cry)

A large barn owl laden with wrapped packages arrived, and James grabbed them eagerly. He untied the string and ruffled the owl’s wings: “Good girl Amber”, the owl pecked his finger affectionately before flying off.  
James eagerly began ripping apart the brown packaging paper and revealed a jar of fudge, a big fruitcake and a box of chocolate.

Peter’s mum had packed him healthy snacks (and a letter which two-thirds of length was complaining about his father). He looked at James enviously. 

A prime tawny owl had, Remus felt, very smugly dropped an envelope in front of Sirius and flew away. 

Sirius read the letter time and time again before quietly tucking it into his pocket.

James was tearing out chunks of fruitcake for them to share and moaning about double potions with the Slytherins.

*  
They had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that day. Professor Aldrich was a wizened old retired member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

After Aldrich finished calling the register, he began a little speech: “Welcome to Hogwarts and welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts!” He said jovially. “It is my job here, as per the name, to help you learn how to protect yourself against the dark forces.” He chuckled, “Well it’s unlikely I’ll last more than a year, so this year we’ll focus on my speciality, dark creatures. Curses will be next year, if I ever make it.” 

Quite a few students smirked.

He clapped his hands together and smiled: “Everyone take out your copy of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection! Wonderful book, begins with the bit that’s the most fun, XXXXX creatures, known wizard killers.”

Some students sniggered nervously.

“Open up to page one. This week we shall study werewolves, possibly the one that is closest to us as they are found on the British Isles.” The professor said. “Who can tell me what a werewolf is?”

The red haired girl from the train raised her hand.

“Evans, right? Lily Evans.” The professor asked.

Lily nodded and stood up. “A human being who, upon the complete rising of the full moon, turns into a fearsome and deadly near-wolf.”

“Perfect definition Miss. Evans. Five points to Gryffindor.” Aldrich beamed.

“Werewolves are especially dangerous, as they are in our midst and there is no way to tell whether someone is a werewolf if it isn’t the full moon.” He said, pulling out a picture and putting it on the board.

A boy in the back asked: “But couldn’t we get everyone who was a werewolf to register at the Ministry so that we know who to look out for?”

Professor Aldrich sighed. “The Ministry has done that already. Werewolves are already to submit themselves to the department to sign various conducts and registries, which would also force the werewolves to promise to secure themselves from attacking others.”

“Then surely we’d know?” A girl piped up.

Professor Aldrich shook his head: “No sane werewolf would be prepared to walk into the Ministry to admit themselves.”

“But Goblins do! And Centaurs!” A girl said.

“Well, there isn’t anything distinguishing werewolves from normal people except from at the full moon.” The professor pointed out. “So we can’t identify them and force them to do so.”

“But doesn’t that mean there could be beasts posing as normal people?” A boy in the middle asked anxiously.

“That’s why we need to study defense, my boy, to protect us from dark creatures.” Professor Aldrich said.

Remus felt sick. 

*

The quartet were met with vapours from potions, pickled animals in jars and whispers from the Slytherins as they wound down to the dungeons for potions.

Sirius tried not to look at them and set his table with deliberate care. 

Professor Slughorn saved the day by swarming in and giving a particularly warm welcome to James and Sirius.

(“James Potter? Son of Fleamont Potter?”  
“That’s me sir.” James grinned  
“Potions master, your father,” Slughorn wagged a finger. “Most talented indeed…I have great expectations for you my boy!)

(“The infamous Sirius Black! What’s with you my boy? I thought I’d get the full set of the Blacks!” Slughorn chuckled.  
Sirius grinned and gave a wink.)

The Gryffindors and Slytherins were broken up and paired up with a member of the opposite house, sat with the task of brewing a wart removal potion.

Remus was with Evan Rosier and Sirius was with Anthony Avery at the desk behind him. 

Remus was weighing nettles and Evan was crushing snake fangs with a quiet sort of companionship, he had to admit that Evan wasn’t half bad to work with, determined and quiet.

Remus was putting a steelyard on the scales when he heard frantic conversation behind him with his enhanced werewolf hearing. It was Avery and Sirius.

“What? Your mother told you not to be friends with me anymore and you’re just going to do it?” Sirius was hissing incredulously. 

“Yes.” Avery said with a nod.

“That’s not fair!” Sirius whined in a low voice. “We played together since we were kids! Hide-and-seek?” 

“I always let you win.” Avery said in such a low voice that Remus almost didn’t catch it.

“You what?” Sirius asked, dumbstruck.

“Mother told me to get on good terms with you, father was in trouble at the time.” Avery muttered and there was the sound of horned slugs being tossed into the boiling pot.

“So none of it was true?” Sirius sounded desperate. “Not even when we made pelted Kreacher?”

Avery was silent. 

Sirius upturned the table and knocked the potion all over Anthony who immediately had red boils spring up all over him.

Slughorn ran over and cleaned up the mess: “Goodness, what happened.” 

“I tripped sir.” Anthony said. 

“Oh dear, you two better pop off to the Medical Wing.” Slughorn said.

Remus watched as the two slowly ascended the stairs and went their different paths.

*

The first years had the whole afternoon off. Remus was finishing off his Transfiguration essay when he remembered that he had left the copy of Transfiguration Principles for Beginners that his father gave him at his dorm. 

Remus heard snuffling. It was Peter with the Transfiguration papers scattered around him.

Remus approached him and asked: “What’s up?”

Peter looked up at him, in tears: “I just can’t. Transfiguration, I don’t understand a thing.” He moaned.

Remus admitted: “Transfiguration is hard, I had to read quite a few books.”

“Mum is so going to kill me.” Peter snuffled. “She says we’re hard pressed to pay for school and I’d better do well. I’m rubbish though.”  
“That’s…not nice.” Remus mumbled.

“It’s not fair. You’re all so smart. I bet your mum never…”Peter broke off.

Remus thought of all the times his mum had wept over him. “No, but I make her sad too.”

“But you’re smart!” Peter said. “All the teachers say that.”

“There are…other problems.” Remus muttered. “You just have to read the books a few more times. Transfiguration’s icky like that. People can teach you tricks but in the end you have to figure it out yourself.”

“I can’t.” Peter said quietly.

Remus sat with him on the floor for a while, each of them sunk in deep with problems of their own.

*

The ice-cold wind of late midnight bit and tugged at their thin summer robes as the cold and weary first years flocked down from the astronomy tower.

Remus found with exasperation that he had left his copy of the Guide to the Night Star for Beginners at the tower so he sighed and trudged back sluggishly.

The stars shined cold and bright against the dark velvet sky on the Scottish moor. A gust of wind made Remus’s robes billow as he picked up his copy of Guide to the Night Star for Beginners.

An owl hooted. 

Remus thought that it had an almost unnerving beauty.

Then there was a metallic clatter and a flurry of papers.

Remus approached quietly, hesitated before asking: “Sirius?”

Sirius was slumped against a merlon with star charts scattered around him and with a shattered telescope.

“I can’t find the goddamn star.” Sirius muttered.

“You could have asked for help?” Remus said tentatively.

“James didn’t.” Sirius muttered. “He’s just better than me at everything. It’s just so unfair!”

“Um. He’s better than me too?” Remus offered.

“My mother sent me a letter today saying I was shame of her blood.” Sirius suddenly said. “She said that I had better be the best.”  
Sirius grabbed a star chart and flung it. “Then I lost a friend. Then Reg wrote saying he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore.” 

Sirius started to cry. “I bet you’re golden. I saw your mother send you biscuits. And Peter’s. And James’. Why am the one stuck with this bunch! Can’t they see I’m trying?” Then his voice broke.

Remus thought of his transformations and of Peter’s rants. “We’re not. We’ve all got problems.”

Sirius mumbled: “But it’s not the same.”

Remus waited with him; he knew that problems could only be lived with, not solved.

Sirius snuffled half-jokingly at last: “I’m named after a star. I would think I’d know.”

Remus knew he was changing the topic and that the worst bout of feelings had passed.

“I can help you tomorrow?” Remus offered.

“Thanks.” Sirius said half to himself and began to gather up his star charts.  
Remus helped.

“I should apologize to James.” Sirius muttered. “I snapped at him.”  
“Maybe.” Remus said.  
“I should write a letter to my mother telling her to fuck off.” Sirius declared,  
“…Probably not in that language.” Remus answered.  
Sirius laughed. “No, but it would be good if I did wouldn’t it?”  
“…Maybe.” Remus smiled a bit.  
Dawn was approaching.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slice of life transition chapter

When you’re happy and content, time slips seems to slip through your fingers.

The rest of 1971 passed in a flash of homework and lessons and newspaper headlines, except for the monthly, normal, painful transformation.

*

( “3rd September, Qatar becomes an independent state.”

Peter: “I didn’t know that was a country. Is it in Europe?”)

(“11th September, the History of the Egyptian Constitution becomes official.”

James: “Did you know my great-grandfather actually helped dismantle the curses off some of the stuff from Tutankhamen’s grave? Merlin’s beard, the Ancient Egyptians had some seriously nasty ones, those scarabs…”)

*

The biggest problem for the four was a boy, Severus Snape. Or rather, a problem for James and Sirius.

It began one wet morning on the dewy Quidditch pitch. 

It started out alright. James and Sirius were showing off as normal, Sirius sharing a story about how he skated over a lake during a holiday in Scotland, Remus and Peter were figuring how not to fall off their brooms. 

Severus was trying and failing to teach Lily. That’s where the problem began. 

James started wooing, the vast majority of bored Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years slouching on the wet grass joined in.

Severus muttered under his breath. Lily blushed scarlet which clashed terribly with her hair and she began yelling at James.

James was grinning painfully wide (even more painfully wide than normal) and began chanting: “Lily and Severus…” “Snivellus!” Sirius reminded helpfully. James continued: “sitting on a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

Severus fired a hex at him. 

James was already on one of the wonky school brooms and he simply kicked the ground and flew right away. He did a figure-of-eight above Severus to hammer in the point. 

Quite a lot of people cheered. 

Mr. Reed, the teacher, gave James a strict talking to about flying according to orders and a week’s detention.  
(After class, however, James was guaranteed a spot in the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Chaser the instant he turned second year with Mr. Reed wild-eyed with excitement)  
Severus tried to hex James again on their way back to the castle and succeeded. Sirius roared and tackled Severus to the ground; James was taken to the hospital wing. The two were also given detention for a week.

Sirius and James swore revenge.

*  
(“1th October, Walt Disney World opens near Orlando, Florida, United States.”  
Remus’ mother wrote, with a photo of his distant cousin eating ice-cream and getting terribly sunburnt on a beach)

*

James and Sirius conspired whilst scrubbing the trophy room. They were going to get revenge.

James wrote to his mother, asking for some of the new fake prank spiders that could turn into real ones at a simple spell. He got a letter with a strict talking to and lost a week’s supply of sweets. 

Sirius sent a similar plea. His uncle Alphard sent him the deluxe box along with two boxes of slime.

The planning went exceptionally smoothly.

( “We need to follow a few Slytherins find the Slytherin common room…” James said, slouching on his four-poster bed, scribbling a to-do list.

“Door on the right side of the Entrance Hall” Sirius shrugged, rearranging the curtains. “A whole family of Slytherins.”)

(Peter asked quietly, hugging a cushion, voice implying strong hopes of quitting: “How are we supposed to get in without being found out?”  
James jumped off the bed and drew out an invisibility cloak from his oak wood trunk with a grin like Cheshire Cat. 

Sirius almost choked with excitement and spent the next ten minutes running his fingers through the fabric. 

Remus and Peter were quite stunned)

(By twilight, the four were seated on James’ bed dividing the last of James’ remaining stash of sweets. 

James decided that they needed a name. Sirius suggested T.Rex, the Terrors and the Zeppelins. 

Remus seriously doubted whether Sirius knew what a Zeppelin was. 

Peter tried the Slytherin Slicers.

Remus thought. “How about the Marauders?”)

*

(“21th October, a Clarkston explosion named gas explosion kills 22 people at a shopping centre in Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, near Glasgow, Scotland.” The muggle headline.

“You Know Who Strikes Again! 22 muggles slaughtered at a shopping centre in Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, near Glasgow, Scotland.” The Daily Prophet headline. 

It was the source of gossip for weeks, unrest and fear spreading through the castle.

The four Marauders were climbing the castle stairs after breakfast on a rainy day. 

James shook a letter from his mother with the newspaper clipping and a letter telling him to take care: “That’s just terrorism. Professor Dumbledore’s fighting him. I’m going to fight him too one day.” 

Sirius huffed: “Mate, that’s the Dark Lord you’re talking about. Remember that murdered wizard, Adam something? Everyone’s terrified. Do something?”

“Well someone’s got to.” James shrugged, standing on the step above the trio, warm candlelight falling down on him. “It may as well be me, it’ll just get worse if we don’t.”

Sirius looked up, swallowed and was lost for words

Remus didn’t think that anyone but James could say something like that without sounding sanctimonious. 

Remus also thought that was the day James got Sirius’ total loyalty.)

*

The great plan did not exactly go according to plan. 

The Marauders got lost the night they ventured out under the cloak. They set off giggling with anticipation, but after spending around two hours navigating the way from the Gryffindor tower to the Slytherin dungeons in their pyjamas under the threadbare cloak in the cold October castle, suffice to say their enthusiasm was doused.

Peter almost fell through the shifting staircase. That was about the last straw. The four sat on a marble staircase huddled together under the thin coat, shivering in the wind.

“We should just give up.” Sirius whispered, head hanging.

Remus noticed with blurry eyes that this was the staircase in the Entrance Hall. “Um, isn’t the Slytherin room near? I think this is the staircase on the ground floor?”

James pointed. “Isn’t that the kitchen? That painting with a pear?”

“What the what?” Sirius muttered sleepily.

“That one. My dad said that’s the kitchen.” James whispered excitedly, dragging the four along.

They left full of hot chocolate, with warm blankets and a guide back. 

That was the first Marauder prank.


	6. Chapter 6

The winter of 1971 came, the mountains, the lake and sky turned grey. 

Frost now coated the grass and cold drafts of wind ruffled the sea of grey-green trees of the Forbidden Forest. 

The students hurried through icy cold corridors clad in a wide array of warm jumpers, mittens and scarves. 

(Sirius was undeterred by the weather and stuck to a shirt with the top buttons undone.

Remus pitied him. Remus was equipped with a lumpy jumper, a woolly scarf and gloves.)

(Remus found Peter trying to hide his jumper. Remus couldn’t say he blamed him – the jumper could only be described as hideous yellow)

Christmas festivities were springing up all around the castle. Fairy lights were draped around lamps, mistletoe was hung at every classroom door, tinsel was attached to every surface and an enormous Christmas tree was erected in the Great Hall.

*

The Marauders had a great time. 

They spent time by the fire toasting crumpets, marshmallows and bread on a fork, James would talk Quidditch, Sirius would talk bands and Remus would talk history. Then they would discuss ways they could prank Snape – they would get wilder and wilder, but it wasn’t as if they were ever going to happen. 

Sometimes James would play chess with Remus while Sirius read the Rolling Stone magazine and Peter watched. James never won, but he never gave up.  
Remus had his first snow fight. 

James threw a snowball that burrowed down Sirius’s thin shirt. Sirius retaliated with a snowball that hit James smack in the face. They soon teamed up James and Peter versus Sirius and Remus.

The Marauders ended up late for Transfiguration, cold, wet to the bone, and sweaty all at the same time. 

Remus had never felt happier. 

Before they knew it, it was time for Christmas and the Marauders had to go back home. 

Hagrid was there to take them across the icy lake; they boarded the Hogwarts Express, promising to write; talking and laughing as the train flew through the moors and towns; exchanging their robes for coats; pulling into platform nine-and-three-quarters at King’s Cross Station.

Remus felt like a century had passed when he looked around the platform. 

James was enveloped by his parents on the platform, James was struggling: “Grr, let me go! Mum!”

Sirius was held in an iron grasp by a woman that could only be described as menacing.

Peter’s mother was hugging him.

Remus saw his father in the battered coat. Remus ran over to hug his father and was enveloped in the familiar scent. 

“I missed you dad.” Remus murmured. 

*

Over Christmas, Remus went back to his regular activities, reading and walks.

(Remus’s parents peppered him with questions about school. 

Remus could tell his father had something on his mind, but the man only told him about work, the Poltergerist in a muggle school - they had to confound the school board to build a new school.

“It was havoc, I tell you. The students, Merlin, how do muggles get an education?”)

(Remus talked with his mother about wizarding books - she was very interested in The Tales of Beedle the Bard )

(The family went for walks in the industrial town. Remus’s father would point out the plants that were magical)

(Remus got letters from James and Peter, but Sirius remained very quiet)

(On Christmas Day, Remus woke up to a wide pile of presents. 

James sent a new set of chess. Peter sent some homemade biscuits. 

Remus’s parents gave him the Iliad and the Odyssey. 

Still no news from Sirius)

The good times didn’t last long. Over Christmas dinner, Remus’s father announced he was leaving for London in a few days – he had been hired to get rid of some Boggarts in an old house, as “it should pay for those herbs I’ve been wanting to experiment with” 

(Remus felt guilty and stayed quiet for the rest of the dinner) 

Remus’s father and mother had to visit Remus’s sick grandmother, who had had a stroke.. 

(Remus couldn’t really remember what she looked like, she had refused to see Remus since knowing that he was a werewolf. For Remus, the only bad thing was simply that the handmade ginger men every Christmas had stopped and that she had screamed at 

Remus and told him to get out the last time he saw her. His father had stormed out and not seen his grandmother since)

Remus was going back to school.

*

It was midnight when Remus was driven back to Hogwarts. 

When Remus was roused from the back of the car, sleep dazed, he could see the warm yellowy lights of the castle against the cold winter sky of stars bobbing closer as he was led closer. His father handed him over to Professor McGonagall who led him back to the dormitories. 

Remus was so tired that he could only the follow the bobbing lamp Professor McGonagall was holding through the dark winding corridors. 

An eternity later, when he was finally in his dormitory, Remus groped for his bed only to crash into someone causing him to yelp and fall, hitting his head on the bedpost, which more than did the job of waking him up. 

Looking up, he saw Sirius. With the stars in the window behind him and the wind playing with his hair, grey eyes wide, Sirius looked like some sort of god.

The god held out his hand, Remus took it and stood up.

“Sirius…How?” Remus asked hoarsely. 

“Mother got angry, I ran away.” Sirius said. 

“This is Scotland! Your house is in London. That has to be…” Remus realised that he wasn’t good at maths, or geography in that matter, “quite far, you didn’t walk did you?”

“Nah, just the Knight Bus, a bit of pocket money and a suitcase.” Sirius said as he sat down and bounced on the nearest bed, a lock of jet black hair fell down on his face.

“Why are you up at midnight?” Remus asked.

“Nah, just couldn’t sleep.” Sirius said with a shrug.

Remus didn’t think that Sirius had a nonchalant bone in his body at that moment, but decided not to press it. “Won’t your parents get upset?” Remus couldn’t imagine what his parents must think if he did something like that.

“Nah, they’re angry already.” Sirius shrugged, lying down among the pillows.

“Dare I ask what for?” Remus asked, sitting next to Sirius.

“Blah, blah pureblood, shame of family, blah, blah…” Sirius muttered from the cushions, fiddling with Remus’s sleeve.

“What did you do?” Remus asked.

“Be born I guess. “Sirius stopped muttered, rolled over and changed the topic. “I’ve got something to show you.” Sirius said.

“Um, alright.” Remus said, suddenly sorry for prying.

Sirius furrowed in his suitcase and took out a bar of chocolate. 

“Um, Merry Christmas? My original gift was smashed in an argument with mother. I bought this on the way with my pocket money?” Sirius said. “I know you chocolate, I wanted to send it, but I forgot my owl, and the school ones are on holiday, owls, holidays…”

Remus had never seen Sirius ramble and he was instantly ashamed: “I can’t take it, that pocket money is what little you have at the moment…”

“Just take it.” Sirius said, pressing it into his hands.

Remus took it gingerly and opened the package. “Share?” Remus asked.

Sirius smiled and jumped onto the bed. “Alright. Tell me about your holiday?”

And they did, sharing chocolate and talking until day broke.

*

The nest week, Remus and Sirius passed in a quiet sort of companionship until the silence was broken by a letter.

Dear Remus:  
Your grandmother has just passed. The funeral is in two days. You have been exempt from the will, she has passed all the money over to charity. If you would like to come, no one would think the less of you if you didn’t, reply pronto.  
-Dad

There were tears on the paper, and it looked scrunched.

Remus told Sirius about it. (Omitting the fact of being a werewolf, of course, changing it instead to not being pureblood)

Sirius told him not to, that an old hag like that didn’t deserve that. 

Remus replied and packed his bags.

*

Two days later, Remus was there in a town in Yorkshire at the funeral. 

The graveyard wall was laden with ivy. The small coffin at a corner was redwood and adorned with a cross. 

In Remus’s mind, his grandmother was a large and formidable woman and he couldn’t think how she would fit in such a tiny box.

Remus’s grandmother seemed to have lots of friends, old ladies in warm coats and hats surrounded the grave on stools.

Remus’s father was reading the script with tears in his eyes, but his fists were clenched. 

“Would anyone like to say a few words about Mrs. Catherine Lupin?” He asked.

Everyone looked at Remus. Remus did not understand at first, then he did. They thought that he would be upset. 

Remus stood up, no one should just not be forgiven. “She made great ginger men.” He said,

Slowly, the people in the graveyard, under a bleak grey winter sky, began to laugh.

An old lady stood up: “She was a great help in the wars. World Wars One and Two that is…”

The funeral turned into a bunch of friends telling funny stories about the dead person. 

Remus’s father finally cried.


	7. Chapter 7

Dandelions began to poke out from the grass and the sun warmed the castle.

Spring was in the air and older students could be seen holding hands and strolling along the lake and school life went on in a tranquil and languid manner.

(James and Sirius found a new way to spice life up –finding secret tunnels. Or rather, Remus – with his superhuman hearing and smell found the secret tunnels and James and Sirius would use them to prank other students. They now had a list of corridors: which of them had secret rooms, which of them had secret tunnels)

(James and Sirius would sneak out and turn the passer-by’s hair bright pink before disappearing back down into the secret room/tunnel.   
The only time it didn’t work was with Snape, he managed to hex James back, James got a slash on his arm and vowed revenge. Now, whenever the Marauders met Snape it was constant contest on the corridors to see who could hex the other first)

(Apart from that, everything was lazy and tranquil)

*

Mar 4th Daily Prophet: Explosion in a crowded restaurant in Belfast, killing two muggles and wounding 130. Unknown whether Death Eaters or the IRA (muggle group) behind it….

Ewan Law (whose father works at the Ministry of Magic Ireland) was spreading wild rumours, one day the Death Eaters were collaborating with the IRA, the other day there would be no Death Eaters in Ireland and it was all conspiracy theory. 

There were uneasy rumours that the Ministry of Magic Ireland wanted independence.

The Marauders decided that it was just boring stuff for adults, they could worry about it later. After all, they wouldn’t be adults until forever. 

*

In the glorious May sun, the last Quidditch match of the year was held, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.

The crimson red and sky blue of the two houses were hung on the stands and were rippling in the wind. 

Remus could smell sunshine and freshly-cut grass and feel the wind caressing his hair.

Sirius shook him: “Remus! Remus! Wake up, the match’s starting!”

Sure enough, with the shrill whistle cutting through the air, fifteen brooms soared into the air. The crowds cheered and hooted, Remus could feel his ears pounding.

A sixth year Gryffindor was doing the commentary: 

“The Quaffle is taken by Dorcas Meadowes of Gryffindor, passed to Alice Fairbank, a good new find, then to Everett, no, taken by Andrew Flint, Ravenclaw. Come on Gryffindor! To Grace O’Connor, off she goes, to Charles Hart, he’s soaring, ouch, that must hurt, hit in the arm by a Bludger, the Quaffle is now in the hands of James Spencer, he’s flying, he’s going to score – no, blocked by the Ravenclaw Keeper, Matthew Cole – Quaffle taken by Gryffindor – Dorcas Meadowes is weaving towards the posts – careful of the Bludg…It’s a dodge, she’s streaming forward on a clear field, come one Dorcas! Keeper Matthew Cole dives – misses – GRYFFINDORS SCORE!”

The Gryffindors cheered and waved their red banners. 

Sirius was waving a banner and hooting: “Yes! Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Gryffindor…James, come on!” 

James was still sitting in the stands. 

Sirius shook James: “James! Are you alright mate? Mate!”

Remus followed James’s gaze, Lily Evans was sitting in the row in front of them. She was cheering, her green eyes bright, and the warm May sun seemed to have set her hair on fire. Lily Evans was radiant.

Remus realised that she was beautiful.

James was staring. 

Sirius waved a hand in front James’s face. “James, mate, I’m getting worried.” 

James was pointing: “Evans, she’s got nice hair.”

Sirius gave James a look that implied he did not know what the hell James was talking about. 

James thought about it for a moment: “We could turn it pink. That’d make her mad.”

Sirius grinned before pulling out his wand. 

James swatted his hand back and muttered: “Pink would be too similar to her hair now. We should turn it green, that’d get her attention.” And he muttered the spell.

Sure enough, Lily Evans’s hair turned bright green. The girl next to her screamed. 

There was a commotion, the girls around her moved away and pointed at her hair. Lily Evans grabbed a lock and looked, she shrieked.

James and Sirius laughed themselves silly. 

They were so loud that Lily turned back and looked. “Did you two do this?” She yelled. 

James and Sirius laughed louder. 

“You wait!” Lily said, she grabbed a rail and climbed over to their row, and gave James and Sirius a slap each.

James and Sirius were in total shock.

Lily stormed off. 

*

Sooner than they knew it, the exams were looming.

(Back in those days, the anti-high-pressure-on-students law had yet to be imposed so the workload was considerably heavier)

Remus and Peter were always in the library hitting the books.

(Peter had more breakdowns, worrying about his grades, his family and his future. Remus wanted to help, but couldn’t)

Even James and Sirius could be seen studying, competing against each other.

Remus made flashcards of dates in a History of Magic. (Sadly, no one else wanted to study history)

Peter carried a notebook with him at all times. (Post-its would not be invented until 1974) 

James and Sirius would help Remus and Peter with transfiguration. (Remus thought that it was hilarious in a way, four teenage boys waving sticks at a bowl trying to turn it into a plate)

In a flash, the exams came and so did the grades,

James got highest in transfiguration, Remus got the highest in all the written subjects (Astronomy, History of Magic) with Lily Evans closely behind them. Lily Evans also got highest in Charms. Sirius passed all the subjects with a high score, Peter managed to scrape past.

To celebrate, the Marauders opened a flagon of pumpkin juice and downed it, pretending it was wine, drinking a toast to themselves.

And almost too suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, notes were handed out telling them not to use magic, Hagrid was there to take them across the lake (this time in all its glorious blues and greens); they were on the Hogwarts express joking and eating, this time with friends; pulling on muggle clothes and pulling into platform nine and three quarters.

They left with promises of a great summer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breather chapter

Summer 1972

_Dearest Remus!!!_

_Mum and dad are taking me to Cornwall. Do you want to come? They’ve rented a cottage by the sea. We could go magic diving and find some sort of poisonous fish to show off with and do Quidditch on sea. Peter has already said yes, we could get the gang together!!! If yes, send Idlewind back pronto, if not, still send her back pronto._

_Lots and lots of Love,_

_James._

~

Remus was worried about his scars showing.

_Dear James:_

_Thank you for asking, sorry to disappoint, but my mother would prefer me to remain at home during the summer. I am afraid that there is a great lack of poisonous species in our seas, I suggest you look for Portuguese man o' war, quote “the sting is painful and can cause nausea and convulsions”. I hope you have fun in your quest._

_Sincerely: Remus._

~

Remus got a heavy envelope with photos and a small bone. In the grainy photograph (remember, this is the 1970s and you can imagine the quality of the photographs)

In one photo James had his arm over Peter’s shoulder and they were grinning in front of an idyllic cottage with heather decorating the windows, laughing and waving.

In one there was James on a broom soaring down, letting the tips of his feet skim the surface of the sea before nimbly tilting his broom and soaring back up again.

There was also a photo of a cut foot.

_Not-so-dear Remus:_

_Thank you very much for your “advice”. :(_

_No Portuguese man o’ war was seen, but I did get cut by a weezer fish. I obliterated it. The bones of the culprit are in the letter. I thought it might make some weird bookmark. You like books. :)_

_We went diving ,did water Quidditch and went wading (there that treacherous fish got me)_

_I hope you are well,_

_Love from James. :)_

~

Still no news from Sirius

~

James sent a letter with a newspaper clipping: PURE BLOOD SPEECH HELD IN DIAGON ALLEY

_Two masked “Death Eaters” took a podium at Diagon Alley today and gave the unsuspecting crowd the following speech…_

_Dear Remus,_

_I hope you are well, have you read the news? I was THERE when I was buying supplies for school, and I freaked out, I mean, how can people be such idiots? It isn’t the middle-ages. Be careful when you go down there. :(_

_On the bright side, I don’t think we ever need to go to astrology ever again. I got a moving model of all the planets. And I got a broom maintenance kit. :)_

_James_

~

Peter sent a letter too:

_Dear Remus:_

_I hope you are well, James and I are having lots of fun, wish you could be here._

_(I think James has gone off the rocker. Five hours Quidditch training every day?)_

_Sincerely, Peter._


End file.
